This invention relates to the sport of water skiing, and more specifically to storage systems for water ski equipment.
A variety of ski locking devices have been proposed in the past; most for use on snow skis. One set of these proposed devices are those that lock two skis together in such a way as to make them difficult to carry, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,561. Another set of proposed devices require a bracket to be placed on the ski for purposes of locking, for example, U.S. patents U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,057,984 and 4,231,586. When one has spent a large amount on the purchase of a water ski, it may not be desirable to make such drastic modifications. A third set of proposed devices are those which are carriers for a single pair of skis, with a locking attachment, generally a cable to lock it to some structure. Examples of these systems are U.S. patents U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,990,655 and 4,312,532. Further inventions make use of the ski pole as a key part of the system, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,762. All of the above, though they accomplish the goal of locking skis, are quite different from the present invention in both method of locking, portability of locked skis, and quantity of skis that can be handled.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,438,878 and 4,720,031 are more similar to the present invention in that they describe systems to lock multiple pairs of skis. However, these are both systems specifically for carrying skis on top of automobiles. Their construction features and locking mechanisms are designed to accommodate snow skis and automotive mounting only, and as such they require side top access to operate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,805 describes a system which locks skis to a fixed locker building. However, it describes individual locks for each pair of skis, rather than a single locking mechanism to lock multiple sets of skis.
Both U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,494,805 and 4,720,031 handle pairs of skis in a back-to-back fashion, which is unsuitable for water-ski use, as the fin protruding from the bottom of the water-ski interferes with handling the skis in this manner. Furthermore, water-skis are often not purchased or used in pairs, as slalom water-skiers prefer to ski with a single ski.
The ski locking mechanisms noted above are not readily adapted for water ski use, due to the different physical characteristics of the water ski from the snow ski, and due to differing patterns of usage.
A particular segment of the water skiing population uses a boat which is left on the water for the entire water ski season, with the boat typically stored on a boat lift with a canopy covering the lift and boat to protect the boat from the weather. For these water skiers, there are currently limited options for storage of water skis when not in use.
It is preferred to have the water skis stored near the boat, to avoid the labor of carrying them to the boat when they are needed. However, skis left on the floor of a boat obstruct movement around the boat, and so are often not desired in the boat when they are not going to be used. Further, a boat lift on a lake is generally very vulnerable to theft of loose items. Water skis are easily carried and can have a significant value, so they are potential theft targets, and it is preferred to keep them locked up.
Some skis may be stored within locking compartments within the boat. While this option provides the advantage of having the skis stored at their point of use, it is limited in that the skis are stored in a closed chamber, where there is a danger of the skis not properly drying after use. Further, boats have limited locking storage space, and many boats have no locking storage space, so many skiers have a need to store more skis than will fit within the locking storage space within the boat.
Another popular solution is to locate a locking storage building near the lake for storage of water sports equipment. While this offers welcome security, procurement of such a structure is a significant expense. Further steps must be taken to control humidity within such a building to prevent growth of mold and mildew on the water sports equipment. Additionally, the water skis must still be carried to the boat when they are needed.
The cost and humidity issues of the solution above lead many to store their water skis in their houses or garages, which provides a secure and dry environment for storage, but presents the greatest inconvenience for usage. A water skiing family might have two sizes of children's skis, a set of adult combo skis, and one or more slalom skis, which requires a fair amount of work to transport to the boat.
Storage lockers are commercially available. Some of these are constructed of a steel mesh which would allow objects within to dry. However, to acquire enough space to contain 7 or 8 skis would require a very large, and very heavy, locker. Finding room for this on the dock could be a problem. Further, it is not as convenient as having the skis available right inside of the boat lift.
The present invention, as described in the following sections, addresses some of the storage needs and issues identified above.